Staying organized in college is the best way to make the most of your short four years of undergrad. By following these few methods, you will definitely have a less stressful and cleaner view of your path to success.
- Keep A Planner
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I know that this is something that has been reiterated over and over again ever since elementary school, but keeping a planner helps remind you of what your tasks are and when assignments are due. Writing down your due dates for assignments or projects, and writing down exam dates is extremely important to guarantee that you don’t accidentally forget or overlook the fact that you have something major due that could seriously affect your grade.
- Have a Desk Calendar
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A desk calendar is different from a planner because it includes information about your duties outside of your classes. You should write down exam dates, important days such as birthdays, club/team meeting dates, and other important tasks that you need to attend or do. It should be very brief and should only include a title and a time for each day.
- Color Code
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Color coding helps your brain associate a color with a task, class, or type of event. I like to color-code my assignments and events in my planner by class in order for me to easily know exactly what is due when and for what class. Color coding your desk calendar is also a great idea for you to quickly understand what is happening on a certain day. Just looking at the color will help you easily recognize what you need to do for that day and you won’t waste precious time stressing about what you are forgetting.
- Separate Notes by Classes
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You can separate your notes by either keeping separate color-coded notebooks for each class or keeping a 5-subject notebook and separating each section by class. Either method works as long as you make sure you dedicate one notebook to each class and don’t mix and match. This way, you will easily be able to turn to your notes or whatever you need without scrambling to find something you wrote weeks ago in a random notebook.
- Keep a Running To-Do List
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The best way to keep a running to-do list is to have a notepad application on your laptop. Especially on a MacBook, it is very convenient to have a to-do list open at all times for you to quickly glance at if you ever forget something. You should keep a list of homework and a separate list for other stuff. The more lists, the better. Categorizing things in your life makes it so much easier for you to know and plan out your life.
Organization is a skill that requires effort, but in the end, it always pays off. By following these few simple organization tips, you will be set to making your life easier to manage and making sure you do well through your years in college and life.